The Energon Pub

Normally, I have certain ruleswhen I buy toys (of all varieties). These include not paying over $60 for a toy, taking the toy out of the box to play with immediately after purchasing -- and, uh. That's it.

I broke the $60 rule with the 20th Anniversary Optimus. And now, I'm wondering if I should break my other rule for these two new toys I've picked up today.

Basically, I'm having trouble deciding whether or not I should open up and play with my new "Trans Scanning Optimus Prime" and my diecast Menasor. On one hand - I didn't pay $60 for them, they're awesome, and I don't buy toys just to have them warm my shelves. But on the other hand... They might be worth more than I paid for them!

It's come down to money or playtime, and I can't decide. This is a dilemma I can't even begin to handle! I'm not meant for this kind of pressure!


...So, what would you do in this situation? And, since I'm curious (and new), do you all stick to buying toys for fun, profit, or is it a mix of both?

Leave Menasor in the box, you'll only be disappointed if you open it.

Yeah go for it the joy you will get will totally out way any disappointment with Menasor and as far as transcan prime screw him it isn't really worth it.

I only buy Transformers for my own enjoyment. I don't like paying through the nose for toys, so I'm not gonna contribute to the problem of ridiculous prices by hoarding MISB toys to resell later on.

But more importantly, you only have one life and you might as well enjoy it while it lasts. I don't know about you, but I enjoy playing with the toys a lot more than I do staring at a sealed box.

My advice would be, if you are going to get some enjoyment out of opening your toys, just open them. Also, I have the Titanium Rodimus Prime and it's a really nice toy in my opinion. It looks dodgy from the side, because it has this big hole, but you can get some really cool poses out of him. I kinda wanted to get Menasor too actually.

Galva-Cannon, you're pretty much completely right. And besides, Optimus looks so much better standing on top of a Styrofoam cup like he's king of the mountain!

Skalor wrote:Leave Menasor in the box, you'll only be disappointed if you open it.

I disagree. I loved the Titaniums, and Rodimus was a sleeper hit for me, didn't like him much at first but messing around with him made me realize how cool the figure was.

As for Menasor going up in value, I doubt it. They were practically giving him away after the SDCC last summer, and you could get him secondary on eBay for like $15. Maybe his value will increase, someday, but for now at least you can get one for a song. Mine's in the box still, but I just don't have room to display him at present.

Dagon wrote:...and you could get him secondary on eBay for like $15.

HA! I just got mine for $12! Seriously, free them both. Trasscan is interesting enough to at least play with once but do not, repeat do not transform him into truck mode. So intricate and difficult a transformation that when your done you're disappointed that it's only a truck. Plus, it's easier to just assemble the piece into the trunk when he's not wearing them.
As for Menasor, there's another way to have to back crest that really looks awesome. It's how I plan to display him.

I fully embrace the idea of no toys left unfreed! They're meant to be played with, dammit!

I've said this before but I'll say it again:

HAVE YOU WATCHED TOY STORY?! FREE THEM FROM THE CARDBOARD PRISON! I'd planned on saving my MP Prime for a rainy day but I couldn't resist him when he came and I played with him all day. I normally leave my TFs boxed and save the joy of playing with them so the goodness is spread out but they always get opened and played with eventually.

Open them, dude. If they're just going to sit in their boxes, why bother owning them at all? You could print out a picture of the box and save yourself some room.

Oh, and if you're thinking investment value, there's gotta be better options than Transformers.

If you have opened all of the other ones up until this point, I can almost guarantee that at some point the temptation will drive you so mad that you will eventually break down and open it/them anyway. It's like having that unreachable itch in the center of your back. Sooner or later you WILL find a way to scratch it.

Besides, the more you leave in the box, the faster your available display space will begin to dwindle and leaving them boxed only allows one view in whichto admire them. I say set them free! It's not like they're going to wander off and as far as resale value, if you pan on reselling later buy a second figure now and stash it so you don't become attached to it.

Sledge wrote:Open them, dude. If they're just going to sit in their boxes, why bother owning them at all? You could print out a picture of the box and save yourself some room.

Oh, and if you're thinking investment value, there's gotta be better options than Transformers.

Never though of the the printing a picture idea, that's a much more economical plan than buying two of a toy or keeping them in the boxes. And no, I'm not even being sarcastic. The only toys I still have in boxes are the ones I can't display, but they will all be displayed eventually. Leave no toy boxed!

Open them, or sell them. If you don't like them enough to play with them and display, they're not worth owning, IMO.

I but toys purely for my enjoyment, so if I'm looking for older, harder-to-find toys, I'm happy to buy them loose if it means I can get them slightly cheaper. I'm also willing to pay out the nose, but not for something MISB, because I'm just going to open it anyway.

If I've lost interest in a toy or found a better version (my Classics Prime and Galaxy Force Exigeyser are for sale!), I try to sell them so I can buy more figures I really want!

Transformers were not meant for MISB. They actually have a function, as apposed to the regular action figs that look great in their boxes.

I buy mine for enjoyment. But I keep em on the shelf alot so If I wanna sell em some day they'll be in good shape.

kirbenvost wrote: I'm happy to buy them loose if it means I can get them slightly cheaper.

I agree. It's great being the first to open a box but if I can get a cheaper one that's open I don't mind - in fact, when I open second hand ones I'm grateful that someone has already removed the twisty ties!

Autobotic9 wrote:Transformers were not meant for MISB. They actually have a function, as apposed to the regular action figs that look great in their boxes.

Or corgi cars. I see the point in leaving those boxed. But not super poseable tfansformers.

Life is short.

Ultra Magnus will say... Open, dam it! Open!

You really have to set them free; Transformers can be claustrophobes too!